The NHTSA Advisory Committee on Underride Protection held its third meeting on February 8, 2024, via Zoom. The main agenda item was rear underride. Presentations and discussions from the meeting can be viewed by using the YouTube video links below.
Tag Archives: NHTSA
Upcoming Underride Advisory Committee Meeting Schedule
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced the next four meetings of the Advisory Committee on Underride Protection (ACUP):
- February 8, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET; Topic: Rear Underride
- March 13, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET; Topic: Side Underride
- April 24, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET; Topic: Front Override
- May 22, 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. ET; Topic: Underride Data
Register here to observe via Zoom.
February 8 will be the third public meeting of the committee, which was established to provide advice and recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation on safety regulations to reduce underride crashes and fatalities relating to underride crashes.
Video of Speakers at Underride Victim Vigil
Families of underride victims gathered on September 14, 2023, in front of the U.S. Department of Transportation at 1200 New Jersey Ave SE in Washington, DC — with crash test cars from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2017 side underride research in the background — to remember loved ones, who lost their lives due to truck underride.
The families rang a commemorative bell for over 750 victims, primarily from the last few years, and called upon the Department to re-evaluate publicly available data, end their decades of inaction, and issue strong underride regulations. Their message was this: Delay = Death.
Thanks to Sarah Haedrich, Vision Zero Coalition Coordinator for the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA), we have video footage of some of the speakers at this event:
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 1 – Dan Langenkamp
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 2 – Sean O’Malley
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 3 – Dan Langenkamp for Steve Bingham
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 4 – Lois Durso
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 5 – Harry Adler
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 6 – Andy Young
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 7 – Dr. Elisa Braver
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 8 – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky
- Underride Victim Vigil – Part 9 – Marianne Karth
We are thankful for all who spoke at the Underride Victim Vigil, including:
- Dr. Elisa Braver, epidemiologist and safety researcher
- Andy Young, The Law Firm for Truck Safety
- Barry Davis, father of underride victim Ally Davis
- Lois Durso, mother of underride victim Roya Sadigh
- Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
- Sean O’Malley, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Abbie Bingham Endicott, cousin of underride victim Sylvia Bingham
- Daniel Langenkamp (husband of underride victim Sarah Langenkamp) read a statement from Stephen Bingham, father of underride victim Sylvia Bingham
- Nancy Avis, cousin of underride victim Carling Mott
- Harry Adler, Institute for Safer Trucking
- Jerry and Marianne Karth, parents of underride victims AnnaLeah & Mary Karth
A Record of Those Remembered in the Underride Victim Vigil
Media Coverage of DC Underride Victim Vigil & Press Conference
Media Coverage of DC Underride Victim Vigil & Press Conference
Families of underride victims gathered on September 14, 2023, in front of the U.S. Department of Transportation at 1200 New Jersey Ave SE in Washington, DC — with crash test cars from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2017 side underride research in the background — to remember loved ones, who lost their lives due to truck underride. The families rang a commemorative bell for over 750 victims, primarily from the last few years, and called upon the Department to re-evaluate publicly available data, end their decades of inaction, and issue strong underride regulations.
Their message was this: Delay = Death.
A Record of Those Remembered in the Underride Victim Vigil
Media coverage included:
- In a tolling bell, a grim message about preventable truck deaths, The Washington Post
- Moms urge federal regulators to mandate side underride guards, FreightWaves
- Moms urge federal regulators to mandate side underride guards, Yahoo! Finance
- Crash victims allege DOT violations related to underride guard report, FreightWaves
- Grieving families say US Department of Transportation failed victims of tractor-trailer underride crashes, WUSA9
Speakers at the press conference included:
- Dr. Elisa Braver, epidemiologist and safety researcher
- Andy Young, The Law Firm for Truck Safety
- Barry Davis, father of underride victim Ally Davis
- Lois Durso, mother of underride victim Roya Sadigh
- Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
- Sean O’Malley, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
- Abbie Bingham Endicott, cousin of underride victim Sylvia Bingham
- Daniel Langenkamp (husband of underride victim Sarah Langenkamp) read a statement from Stephen Bingham, father of underride victim Sylvia Bingham
- Nancy Avis, cousin of underride victim Carling Mott
- Harry Adler, Institute for Safer Trucking
- Jerry and Marianne Karth, parents of underride victims AnnaLeah & Mary Karth
“Underride crashes, which occur when a car slides underneath the body of a truck, have tragically become all too common on our highways. These crashes are preventable. Underride guards on large trucks save lives. I urge @NHTSAgov to implement stronger protections without delay,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “I would be remiss if I did not mention all the survivors and family members who are turning their personal tragedy into advocacy. We could not do this without you.”
Letter to DOT Office of Inspector General, September 14, 2023
We pray for Secretary Buttigieg
Underride Victim Remembrance Walk from The Capitol to USDOT 
Ringing the Bell for Unknown Underride Victims 1966 – 2023 
Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky 
Congresswoman Schakowsky next to crash test car (no side guard on trailer) 
STOP Underrides Commemorative Underride Victim Bell 
Underride Victim Binder – 750 names & photos, mostly from 2020-2023, plus other known victims 
The Tip of the Iceberg 
The Tip of the Iceberg 
The Tip of the Iceberg 
IIHS crash test car into trailer with NO side guard 
Car crashed into trailer with side guard 
Video of Speakers at Underride Victim Vigil
Underride Victim Vigil & Press Conference on DOT Steps in DC
On September 14, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m., families of victims of horrifying truck underride crashes will be standing vigil in front of the Department of Transportation in Washington, DC. We will be ringing a bell to memorialize the victims and sound an alarm. We will hold a press conference calling upon the Department of Transportation to require truck underride guards which will protect pedestrians, cyclists, and the motoring public from these violent and preventable deaths.
SAVE THE DATE Underride Victim Vigil & Press Conference FINAL
Participants will be invited to ring the bell for their own loved ones or for truck crash victims remembered in these underride crash memorial posts — the tip of the iceberg of precious loved ones gone too soon.
Public Comments on the Side Guard ANPRM (Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking)
NHTSA closed the Public Comment Period on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for side underride guards on July 20, 2023. NHTSA asked commenters to respond to these nine questions. Here’s where the comments are posted: Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Side Underride Guards. To make it easier to read through the thousands of comments, I’m providing pdfs and/or links to many of them — although it’s not an exhaustive compilation.
Links to Many of the Public Comments on the Side Guard ANPRM
According to the federal rulemaking process, the next step is for NHTSA (and that will include the Advisory Committee on Underride Protection)to begin reviewing and evaluating the comments which have been submitted from the public. Now is the time for the development of a recommendation to the Secretary of Transportation as to whether a side guard regulation would be cost effective.
In other words, now is the time to finally determine that safety is an acceptable cost of doing business and Death By Underride is an unacceptable, unreasonable, and preventable risk for all road users. At least, that’s what I think.
Still Time to Submit a Public Comment on Side Guard Rule (July 20)
Don’t miss the July 20 deadline (extended from June 20) for submitting a Public Comment to NHTSA on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Side Underride Guards. Here’s how you can do it:
- Go to this link.
- Write your comment to let NHTSA know why you want them to proceed with a rule on side guards.
- If you have specific information to answer NHTSA’s nine questions, you can include it in your comments and/or add attachments.
- Please note the WARNING: Do not submit personally identifiable information through this form. Any personally identifiable information (e.g., name, address, phone number) included in the comment form or in an attachment may be publicly disclosed in a docket or on the Internet.
- Use the drop down box to Select a Comment Category (Rule/Proposed Rule/Final Rule).
- Provide your email address (won’t be published online) and indicate that you’re an Individual and NOT a Robot.
- Then, SUBMIT.
- That’s it. Thank you!
Public Comments on the Side Guard ANPRM – As of June 16, 2023 (119)
The majority of comments (over 1,000) posted from June 16 through June 23 were from individuals and organizations which support the requests in the Public Comment from the League of American Bicyclists – calling for pedestrians and bicyclists to be included in the data for side guard regulatory analysis.
STOP Senseless Roadway Deaths: Give Victims a Voice
Inaction by federal traffic safety agencies, who are fiercely and disproportionately influenced by industry pressure, has left all road users at risk. As a follow-up to the PBS/Frontline truck underride documentary, on June 22, ProPublica published an article which has exposed the depth of this regulatory capture and the powerlessness of safety activists to bring about change.
If I hadn’t already been aware of most of the details of this report, I might have had a hard time believing it was for real. I’m curious what you think of it. It’s a long read, but worth it!
- “The Department of Transportation allowed trucking lobbyists to review an unpublished report recommending a safety device that could save lives by preventing pedestrians and cyclists from getting crushed under large trucks. . .
- But that recommendation generated intense resistance, both internally, from department officials who challenged their findings, and externally, from trucking industry lobbyists. . .
- After meeting with trucking industry lobbyists in December, 2018, the DOT supervisor overseeing the project emailed researchers: “PLEASE delete any mention of a recommendation to develop…any regulation.” DOT Researchers Suggested a Way to Make Big Trucks Safer. After Meeting With Lobbyists, Agency Officials Rejected the Idea.
If that disturbs you (and it’s just the tip of the iceberg), please sign the petition for a National Roadway Safety Ombudsman so that this kind of regulatory capture doesn’t continue to happen:
STOP Senseless Roadway Deaths: Give Victims a Voice
It’s time to turn the tide and demand that vulnerable victims of vehicle violence be given a vigilant voice at the table. It’s time for a National Roadway Safety Ombudsman to serve the public’s best interests at the Department of Transportation.
Credit to Ken McLeod
So, what did you think of the PBS/Frontline Underride Documentary?
We’ve been anticipating the final result of a year-long investigation by @propublica and @frontlinepbs on the truck underride issue. Their team pulled together an immense amount of information on a century-old problem. Of course, an hour could never cover it all. But I think that they created a compelling argument. The question is, what did you think?
If you haven’t had a chance to see the documentary or read the accompanying stories, here are some useful links:
- Frontline Dispatch NPR Podcast: Dangerous Trucks on America’s Roads
- Published July 12, 2023: How Recent State Laws Are Making It Harder to Sue Trucking Companies After Crashes
- Published June 22, 2023: DOT Researchers Suggested a Way to Make Big Trucks Safer. After Meeting With Lobbyists, Agency Officials Rejected the Idea. “The Department of Transportation allowed trucking lobbyists to review an unpublished report recommending a safety device that could save lives by preventing pedestrians and cyclists from getting crushed under large trucks.“
- ProPublica: New Investigation by ProPublica and FRONTLINE Reveals How Regulators and Lobbyists Blocked Measures to Prevent Deadly Crashes (June 13, 2023)
- PBS/Frontline: What Is An Underride Crash And Why Is It So Dangerous?
- PBS/Frontline: She Lost Two Daughters in a Deadly Truck Crash a Decade Ago and Has Advocated For Stronger Regulations Since, plus on YouTube
- ProPublica: Trapped Under Trucks
- The documentary is available for viewing on the PBS/Frontline website.
- The documentary is also available as a YouTube video: America’s Dangerous Trucks (full documentary) | FRONTLINE https://youtu.be/1LyaWzOesXk
- Twitter Thread from ProPublica: Underride crashes — when a passenger vehicle collides with a semi truck & slides beneath it — kill hundreds of Americans a year. A ProPublica/FRONTLINE investigation reveals how safety regulators repeatedly failed to collect accurate data or take action to protect passengers
- SDPB South Dakota Public Radio Talk Show interview with correspondent/producer A.C. Thompson. Listen here: New documentary explores how to prevent underride crashes
- KSTX Texas Public Radio Talk Show interview. Listen here: PBS Frontline investigates “America’s Dangerous Trucks”
- WGVU Midday West Michigan Radio Talk Show interview. Listen here: FRONTLINE premiers: America’s Dangerous Trucks
- Apple News Today – Podcast – Failures to stop a deadly threat to cars from 18-wheelers, June 16
My next question is, what are you going to do in response to what you heard and/or read? And what kind of reaction and action should we hope to see from:
- Congress?
- Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg (who declined to be interviewed)?
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration?
- USDOT Inspector General?
- Trucking Industry?
Anyone can act on their personal convictions and sign our petition: Secretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride! We will be submitting a spreadsheet of all signatures & comments made on the petition to Secretary Buttigieg and to the NHTSA Public Comment docket for the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Side Guards. Here are some other things you can do: How You Can Help!
What do I think? Among other things. . . I think that we need a Congressional Oversight Underride Field Hearing and an investigation by the DOT Inspector General. I’d also like the opportunity to have a meeting with Secretary Buttigieg to discuss underride. Beyond that, I think that we need a long-term solution for this and other roadway safety issues. I think that we need a National Traffic Safety Ombudsman, in place at the USDOT Office of the Secretary, whose role will be to ensure that the voice of victims is appropriately heard and heeded — so that industry no longer has a disproportionate, unfair voice.
PBS/Frontline Underride Documentary & Petition to Secretary Pete
Recent months have brought progress in the right direction to solve the truck underride problem. A PBS/Frontline documentary focused on underride will be aired on Tuesday, June 13, 10/9 Central. See the trailer here, America’s Dangerous Trucks. Spread the word! Breakout stories and articles:
- ProPublica: New Investigation by ProPublica and FRONTLINE Reveals How Regulators and Lobbyists Blocked Measures to Prevent Deadly Crashes
- PBS/Frontline What Is An Underride Crash And Why Is It So Dangerous?
- PBS/Frontline She Lost Two Daughters in a Deadly Truck Crash a Decade Ago and Has Advocated For Stronger Regulations Since
- ProPublica Trapped Under Trucks
- The documentary will air at 7 on the PBS/Frontline website and 10 on their regular programming.
- Twitter Thread from ProPublica: Underride crashes — when a passenger vehicle collides with a semi truck & slides beneath it — kill hundreds of Americans a year. A ProPublica/FRONTLINE investigation reveals how safety regulators repeatedly failed to collect accurate data or take action to protect passengers
- We are launching a new online petition to take advantage of the national attention this broadcast will bring to the hidden problem of underride. Please sign & share: Secretary Pete, It’s Past Time To End Death By Underride! These signatures & comments will be submitted to NHTSA.
- In April, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced members of the Advisory Committee on Underride Protection. The first ACUP meeting was on May 25. This diverse group, with both industry and safety advocates represented, will be making recommendations to Secretary Pete/NHTSA about how to end Death By Underride.
- At the same time, NHTSA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) for a potential side guard regulation. Add your voice to our message. Submit a Public Comment (by July 20) here in support of requiring side guards on all new trucks. Help us to bring this long-overdue rule across the finish line.
Thank you for being a part of TEAM Underride!
